Central Hawke’s Bay students’ day starts with a lot of hot air

The Flying High Project on-site at Terrace School in Waipukurau last week.

There aren’t many school days that begin with a hot-air balloon flight.

But for senior students from two Central Hawke’s Bay schools last week, that was the uplifting start to their day of studies.

Students from Terrace and St Joseph’s schools in Central Hawke’s Bay lined the edge of the playing field at Terrace School early last Tuesday morning, watching in awe as a full-sized hot air balloon was inflated before their eyes.

It didn’t take long until the brightly coloured balloon was floating high above the school, powered by two propane burners and tethered to the towbars of three parked vehicles to keep it in place.

Then down it came again, but only to take its first passengers onboard. Three students clambered into the balloon’s wicker basket to be wafted aloft and see the world from a whole new perspective.

They were the first but not the last, as three by three all the seniors got a chance to fly, some with a bit of trepidation, but all coming back to earth with big smiles and a tale to tell.

“That was amazing,” said one of the Terrace seniors after her first ever ballon flight.

“I didn’t know our heads would be so close to the flames from the burner. I got a fright but then as we lifted up I shouted ‘I’m flying man!’ It felt funny when we were rocking a bit, but it was so fun.”

The hot air balloon visit was courtesy of the Flying High Project, a New Zealand-wide roadshow that uses science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics and mātauranga Māori (STEAMM) to inspire schoolchildren and lift their aspirations.

In 2023 the project visited 34 schools, encouraging more than 6000 young people to follow their dreams, and stressing the importance of education in order to achieve those dreams.

The Flying High Project is inspired by founder Andrew Parker’s Flying High For Kids Project.

Andrew wanted to be a balloon pilot from the age of 6, and he has gone on to fly commercial balloons in exotic locations all around the world.

Between 2014-2019, Andrew drove across countries around the world to fly his hot air balloon at schools and community events in 87 nations to encourage kids to follow their dreams.

Andrew co-operated with international children’s organisations, including Unicef and Children in the Wilderness, reaching more than 60,000 children, and making number one on Lonely Planet for Epic Journeys around the World 2017.

On the journey Andrew recognised a need to guide and empower young people to create a stronger future for themselves and their communities, sustainably.

Along with Andrew, the Flying High Project Trust includes chairwoman Dr Victoria Metcalf, a marine biologist and science communicator, Sam Judd (MNZM), an environmentalist and sustainability educator, Shanandore Brown, a promoter of STEAMM education, Elsa Wrathall, a senior manager within the PwC Financial Advisory team, and Hazel Mclaren-Swift, who has a masters degree in science in society and works for the Ministry of Transport.

Between them, they want to inspire young people to “innovate soundlessly”, reach their full potential and dream big.